Rashtriya Janata Dal Lok Sabha member Mohammed Shahabuddin, sentenced to life imprisonment in a kidnapping and suspected murder case, on Thursday refused to travel in a prison van to Patna to vote in the presidential election and prevailed on authorities to send him by car.

A large police contingent led by the sub-divisional police officer of Maharajganj went to Siwan jail early Thursday morning with six vehicles, including a jail van, following a Supreme Court order permitting Shahabuddin to participate in the polls but was at a loss when told that the MP had refused to travel in the vehicle.

As all efforts to persuade Shahabuddin -- accused of offences like clashing with fellow prisoners and threatening jail and police officials -- to board the van failed, a meeting was convened at the office of Superintendent of Police Sunil Kumar to assess the situation.

Following this, a non-air conditioned car of the district administration was made available to Shahabuddin

"Since the MP refused to board the prison van, we made available an Ambassador car for him to be transported to Patna in accordance with provisions in the jail manual for A-class prisoners," District Magistrate S K Mall told PTI.

Mall said the decision to send the controversial MP by car had the approval of the state home department.